Springfield daily republic. [volume] (Springfield, O. [Ohio]) 1887-1888, 1887-10-06
MR.. MATTHIAS.

Everybody in the little town of Lyre
surls was aStoni>hed when il became
known that Mr.. Matthias WIS dead.
He was barely II years Of age and wa
robust man, as straight as an arrow
About three years before, he had oecom'
the husband of n young girl of -, nice,
of the tax collector, inId whom he hat
loved with frenzy.
OF course, once dead. Mr.. Matthias was
credited with hayln-; been, during his life
time, the possessur of every virtue. Ii
would have gone hari with the one who
should have dared speak ut him rs having
been "A usUrcr or miscr. n people termed
him while living.
No one would have dreamed of publish
ing anew the account of that celebrated
marriage, which certainly did him nC
honor, and which would have brought
back Ia miud the remembrance how MI
had feared that tail. artful. avariciouS and
rich man whom people supposed To oc-
cupy his spare moments in CunCoCting
polsonS. with which he experimental on
dogs. 1t WAS no time ;o talk about that
then. He WAS dead. Peace To his ashes.
After all. i'll thinking the matter over.
was there anything 50 very extraordinary
in this death: Ii WIS plain that Mir Ma
thlas had had fuTchodinEs Of its approach,
for, had he not. but short time before,
sent 10 Paris for wo-kmen 10 erect in the
cemetery the inurtuary chape. that WAS at
that mumrnt waiting Ia receive his mortal
remains, Besides. il had been noticed
that Of late lie had pr"w!cd ahuui his
house as if fearing mysterious robbers
He sequestered his wife and closed him
self mp for weeks AT a time i'll his lahcra.
tory, the chimney Of which seemed in n
blaze every night. All these were the
premouitory symptoms Of brain
trouble" had SAID DIR. l.aharrc. who had
decided that death had resulted from apo
pleNy.
Mr.. Matthias had had a splendid funeral
One-thirl "t the population of the town
had followed his remains 10 the graveyard,
and it may even hc said that there were n
few moist eyes when the oakcn coffin WAS
lowered into the crypt Of the chapel. 4 rc;i,
monument m itself. where two men Of hi.
size might have slept at their ease.
The mourncrs returned from the funer-
al, wondering what the widow would do.
Now. the truth of the matter is that Mr.
Matthias was not dead.
Two hours after IL" ceremony, anyone
who might have been in the vault where
the coffin rested would have certified IL
the truth OF this statement. Two sharp
clicks. like the snap Of 4 spring, rcsoundcd.
and the coffin opened like closet Mr.
Matthias sat up, stretching his limbs like
a man Just waking up, Through graf
ing in the ceiling, little light entered
Mr.. Matthias stood up. slowly rubbing his
slightly benumhed knees.
Taking all in all, he felt comfortable.
quite comfortable. The dose of the nar
Cotic, which Ge had carefully measured
himself before taking, had had the exact
effect he desired. People had supposed
him dead and had buried him, so much
the better.
Since a long while MIR Matthias had
made his preparations. The vault had
.xen fitted up with great care In il
{, here We're suitable clothing. food. and
few bottles Of good wine As nothing
stimulates the appetite more than
even if it is ones own. Mr..
Mathi seated himself comfortably on his
coffin. broke his fast and drank good luck
to the future.
Ii il about time 10 say why. Of his own
free will. Mr.. Matthias was AZ that moment
six feet below the surface vi the ground.
As usual, there was woman mixed up
in the matter. Unmoved 10y feminine
charms until the age Of 40. Mr.. Matthias.
an apo,hecary. who had made
fortune with anti-spaSm pills. fell in love
with pretty Anne Piedefer. the niece of
the taNCatherer at Lyre-Sur-Is He had
bluntly proposed 10 the Young girl. who
had just as bluntly refused to become
Mrs Matthias. in consequence of which he
rcll in love like Il fool. | beg pardon
should say like man Of 40 who allows |
himself 10 fall in love Not being Of an
JverhoneSt nature, he had weaved such a
subtle web about the taXgatherer that in !
eSs than year : time. knowing that the |
s cash did not count up right. /
he unfortunate man was seriously con
,.dering the ACCESSIBILITY Of committing 1
suicide. II was at this moment that Mr. I.
Matthias appeared in the guise Of a savior /.
mi made his terms. The niece offered /.
lerself up rs n sacrifice to save an uncle /
Who had been father to her, although
Ter affections Were already pledged TO u
,urinC town. As sad victim on the altar
If duty, Anne became Mime. Matthias
She soon felt all the consequences of the I.
Mr. Matthias tand perhaps |
he was not far wrong was convinced that /
us wife hated him. From this conviction /.
o the belief tha; she was dcceiving him. F.
here WIS but one step. Ever turmented |
" this suspicion, he became a mOnoma-
,iac. His wife never put her foot ont of 1
ioors. and nobody came to see her Still, .
NJ. Matthias imagined that the reason lie /
lid not catch his wife wrong doing WAS on
recount of his awkwardnesS, and in his |
'wn mind he voted himself an ass
1t was then that Il bright idea struck
i'm. lie would pretend that he was go
1C on a Journey, not To Versailles or
iavre. as 10 CO nedy husbands, but on g
Ong. long journey. from which il would
eern very difficult for him 10 return.
And then, some night, he would come
ack as Iluch alive Us ever, To the great
Of the guilty one.
He allowed himself three days time.
nd he WAS quite pleased with himself rs
e thought of ali this. in stretching him
elf out comfortably i'll his coffin once
lore.
Mr. Matthias was getting impatient as
he third day drew 10 close. He waited
ntil the cemetery clock struck Il. the
our he had chosen To begin operations
His plans had all been well laid. The
vail Of the graveyard bOtnded his prop
rty. He had on hand complete suit Of
lack clothes in which TO array himself rs
phantom druggist. In the graveyard
My would he wear his shroud. to be in
eepng with the predominating color of
he locality. Once over the wall. he
'ould HE straight TO his wife's apart
lent. Then the fun would begin.
Mr.. Matthias dressed himself. and every
hing being all right, he tilted over the
larble slab covering the vault. climbed
p into the mortuary chapel, opened the
door and walked ont into the graveyard,
with his winding sheet on his arm.
As soon as he got into the alley he un-
folded the ample shroud and tried to cast
it around his shoulders. But the sheet
was quite heavy. and he failed i'll his at
tempt Just a. he was about 10 try it